It’s time for another of our “Three and out” columns! The concept is simple. Each week I will pick out three notable plays from the previous weekend and break them down.
These could vary from big highlight reel plays to simply some special play calling and scheme design.
This week we’ve got a trio of offensive plays, including a smart RPO from Indy, a clever Counter from Atlanta, and a dire fourth down play from Pittsburgh.
Let’s get to it!
Indy’s QB Counter RPO
The Shane Steichen-Anthony Richardson connection has been enticing ever since the Colts selected the former Florida quarterback No. 4 overall in the draft. Thankfully it seems to be living up to its billing, with promising returns through the first four weeks.
Richardson has 131 rushing yards on 23 carries, averaging an impressive 5.7 yards per attempt. He has four explosive carries and four rushing touchdowns, one of which came in Week 4 against the Rams.
That’s the play I want to focus on here. The play came in the fourth quarter, with the Colts trailing by 15 points. They were facing a 3rd and 1 from the Rams’ 1-yard line.
Indy come out in 13 personnel (one running back and three tight ends) in an unorthodox formation. They have the running back and tight end lined up in the backfield to the same side of the quarterback.
The Colts’ play call is a QB Counter RPO. They start off by sending running back Zack Moss (#27) in motion before the snap. This motion gives Anthony Richardson the information he needs on whether to run or throw.
You can see Rams cornerback Akhello Witherspoon (#44) and safety Jordan Fuller (#4) adjust to the motion, with Witherspoon widening to cover Moss. This leaves Fuller to cover tight end Andrew Ogletree.
This is where the conflict happens. Fuller is part of the run fit, but now he also has to account for Ogletree as a receiving threat. If he falls out to cover Ogletree, he leaves a gap for the Colts to exploit in the run game. If he stays in, Ogletree will be uncovered and Richardson will have an easy completion for a touchdown. In short, he can’t win.
This time, Fuller covers Ogletree, leaving the Rams a man down in the run game. The Colts have called a QB Counter, with the backside guard and tight end pulling across the formation. The guard is responsible for kicking out the defensive end, with the tight end acting as the wrapper for Richardson to follow.
As soon as he sees Fuller taking Ogletree in coverage, Richardson tucks it and walks into the end zone for an easy score. Expect to see this play plenty more times before the season is over.
More Windback from Atlanta
If you’ve read this column before you’ll know two things – I love Arthur Smith’s offense and I love counter runs. In our Week 2 edition I featured a creative Windback counter concept that Atlanta showed off against the Packers. This time we have an even more funky version of the play from their London game against the Jaguars.
Counter runs come in all shapes and sizes, but typically involve the backside guard and tackle pulling across the formation. Occasionally teams will employ a tight end or h-back as one of the pullers. The Falcons like to take things a step further.
On this play, Atlanta is facing a 2nd and 10. They come out in 20 personnel (two backs, no tight ends) and motion into an I formation. The Jaguars match with nickel personnel.
As with any version of Windback, the key with this play is to sell the run to one side before breaking to back to the other. The aim is to get the defense to flow one way, before attacking the space they have vacated. At the snap the offensive line and backfield all sell a wide zone run to the left side.
For this version of counter, the Falcons send their center, Drew Dalman (#67), and wide receiver Mack Hollins (#18), as the pullers across the formation. This isn’t a play you’ll see very often and for good reason – not many teams have centers athletic enough and wide receivers tough enough to make these blocks!
The run also gets Bijan Robinson out in space and allows him to show off his impressive athleticism for a big gain. There might not be a lot to cheer about in Atlanta at the moment, but Bijan and this running game are always fun to watch.
Blame Canada
Most of the plays I cover in this series are featured either because they are creatively designed plays or just a great display of talent. This one is neither. I actually chose this play because it perfectly encapsulates everything that is going wrong in Pittsburgh right now – sorry Steelers fans.
Trailing 16-6 in the third quarter, the Steelers decided to go for it on a 4th and 1 from Houston’s 33-yard line. I like the aggressiveness in that situation, but the play call was questionable to say the least. They ultimately failed to convert and Kenny Pickett ended up getting injured on the play.
On a day where Pittsburgh averaged 4.6 yards per carry and *checks notes* 3.6 yards per pass, they decided not to run the ball in this situation. They even decided to line up in shotgun formation. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada took plenty of flak for this decision and deservedly so.
Whilst Canada has become the hate figure in Pittsburgh, Kenny Pickett deserves his share of the blame for the failure to convert here.
Pickett’s initial read is the Smash concept to the bottom of the screen. It quickly becomes apparent that neither the corner or the flat is open. At that point, Pickett needs to his third read – the dig route from Calvin Austin (#19). This is wide open for an easy completion and it is a throw that Pickett has to make. But instead of standing in the pocket and making the throw, he bails and takes a sack.
The injury he suffers at the end is unfortunate, but what this play shows is a coordinator who is out of his depth and a quarterback who clearly (and perhaps rightly) has no trust in the play call or the scheme itself. That’s a bad state of affairs for the Steelers to find themselves in.
